Olympic Games Nutrition in Montreal 1976
The food supplied for the athletes at the Olympic Village needs to cater to a diversity of sports, cultures, ages and special dietary needs. Here is some information about the Olympic Village food menu for Montreal in 1976. See more about Olympic Village nutrition and links to information about the meal at other Olympic Games.
1976 Montreal Olympic Village Food Hall
At 1976 at the Montreal Olympic Games, it was the first time that a single restaurant offered a single international menu in Olympic Village, instead of having a number of smaller services geared different cultures. The single food hall was about the size of three football fields, serving of 36,000 meals a day to athletes from a large number of ethnic backgrounds.
The Food Hall
The large single food hall was divided into six spacious rooms, each featuring a double service line, flanking a central kitchen facility that catered to all of them. This setup effectively created 12 cafeterias with a total of 3,600 seats, aiming to eliminate long queues by employing comparatively shorter counters in a staggered pattern, allowing athletes to swiftly select a dish and move along, rather than following a lengthy, straight line as is typically the case.
The Staff
A staff of 1,000, which included 180 chefs and cooks, ensured efficient operations. Many food items were prepared to order, such as steaks and eggs, tailored to individual preferences.
The Meals
A typical meal offered consisted of 5 entrees, 7 vegetables, 14 salads, 2 soups, 10 varieties of bread and rolls, and 10 desserts, with a rotating menu that repeated every five days.
Nearly a million meals were served, consuming 200,000 pounds of beef, 60,000 pounds of seafood, 60,000 pounds of poultry, 200,000 pounds of potatoes, 300,000 pounds of other vegetables, 500,000 apples, 150,000 bananas, 50,000 gallons of fruit juice, 70,000 loaves of bread, 40,000 dozen rolls, 50,000 dozen eggs, 7,000 gallons of soup, 50,000 pounds of ham and bacon, 60,000 gallons of milk, and 12,000 pounds of desserts.
The quality and quantity of the food were well-received, especially the 24-hour availability that allowed athletes to adhere to their own training and competition schedules.
Trivia
- The 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal was the first Games where food and fluids were available 24 hours a day. The meal periods went from 6am until 9pm and, overnight, light snacks were available.
- Compared to the single food hall in Montreal, the 1968 Mexico City village had six separate cafeterias: one with an Eastern European menu, one for Western Europe, one for North America etc.
Source
- Catering to the Inner Olympian. The New York Times. August 6, 1976, Section A, Page 11.
Related Pages
- Olympic Village nutrition, includes links to info about the menu at other Olympic Games.
- Nutrition at the Olympics
- About the 1976 Olympic Games
- History of the Olympic Games Athlete Villages
- Nutrition for Athletes at Major Events
- Sport in Canada
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